Kroger partners with Volta to deploy electric vehicle charging stations

Electric vehicle charging network Volta Inc. is collaborating with The Kroger Co. to install EV charging stations at its supermarkets that will double as digital media platforms.

San Francisco-based Volta said Tuesday that its stations, equipped with large-format digital screens, will provide a media outlet for Kroger’s advertising clients. So far, Volta has rolled out a mix of DC Fast and Level 2 Volta EV chargers at 16 Kroger stores in the Atlanta and Indianapolis areas. Plans call for the deployment of more charging stations at Kroger Co. supermarkets in Columbus, Cincinnati, Louisville, Nashville, Michigan and Southern California throughout the year.

Volta unveiled its Kroger partnership only a day after Kroger announced that was phasing in hundreds of EV charger installations in collaboration with Blink, Electrify America, EVgo, Tesla and Volta to stores in selected markets nationwide. To date, more than 350 chargers have been activated in Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Wyoming, and future locations include Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee and Virginia.

"Increasing our customers' access to EV charging stations at convenient Kroger locations supports our collective transition to a lower-carbon economy,” Yael Cosset, senior vice president and chief information officer atr Cincinnati-based Kroger, said in a statement. “We are leveraging technology and innovation to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and are offering customers easy ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle.”

Related:Catalina helps grocers, CPG brands gauge sales lift from Volta ads

Volta said its digital screens will enable Kroger Co. brands and CPG partners to tap into Volta’s high-impact media inventory, expanding the reach of the grocer’s retail media network and driving measurable business results and environmental impact. Volta’s third-party measurement solutions determine incremental sales lift and incremental return on ad spend (ROAS) at the store level.

“Volta continues to accelerate the switch to electric transportation by making charging as convenient, accessible and affordable as possible. At the same time, we are unlocking new economic opportunities for brands and retailers, proving businesses can thrive while building a sustainable future that benefits us all,” according to Brandt Hastings, chief commercial officer at Volta. “We look forward to working with Kroger to create new customer experiences and bring critical EV infrastructure to communities nationwide.”

The Kroger rollout is part of Volta’s ongoing national expansion. Ahold Delhaize USA’s Giant Food (Landover) supermarket chain started deploying Volta charging stations in July 2020. Albertsons Cos. has deployed Volta EV stations at its Safeway and Vons banners, and Ahold Delhaize USA’s Stop & Shop announced last July that it would have Volta chargers in place by the end of 2021.

Related:Stop & Shop to add 50 electric vehicle charging stations at stores